Tag Archives: Mark Turgeon

I guess this Turgeon guy can recruit. Shaquille Cleare (class of 2012), a 6’10 285 lb center out of Texas, has committed to the University of Maryland. Cleare, a four-star recruit ranked as the 12th best center in the country by Scout.com, is a coup for the Terps. Turgeon began to recruit Cleare when he was still coaching at Texas A&M and it was assumed Cleare would stay in-state. Lucky for the Terps, he didn’t. This kid could be a game-changer for a program with only eight kids currently under scholarship. With a 2012 lineup (possibly) of Nick Faust, Terrel Stoglin, P’Shon Howard, and Shaquille Cleare, the Terps could again be a force in the ACC sooner rather than later.

All players who played in the D.C. and Baltimore areas who chose to not attend the University of Maryland less than 20 miles away. Why not stay local?

Since the Terps won the championship in 2002, they have been mostly mired in mediocrity. Neverthless, most thought a big name coach would take over when Gary Williams retired this past spring. Yet the Terps were left with Mark Turgeon after bigger names such as Arizona’s Sean Miller spurned them. Why? The Terps have won a championship in the past decade, are in the ACC, and are surrounded by two areas known for producing incredible basketball talent. Why is this not a more prestigious job? Why aren’t the Terps annual contenders for an NCAA title?

After the sudden departure of long time coach and leader Gary Williams last week, the Terrapins Athletic Department put on a full court press search for their next head man. The Terps targeted top dogs all around the country and made finding, not just a suitable, but a well deserved replacement for Williams a top priority.